Process Engineer

Overview

Morgan Advanced Materials is a world leader in advanced materials science and engineering of ceramics, carbon and composites. We operate in a series of well-defined markets where our applications expertise offers our customers a valuable differentiator, engineering high-specification materials, components and sub-assembly parts that solve their challenging technical problems.

The Technical Ceramics business of Morgan Advanced Materials engineers high performance functional and structural ceramic materials, components and sub-assemblies to address customer-specific technical challenges.

The business employs advanced materials science and applications expertise to produce parts that enhance reliability or improve the performance of its customers’ products. Much of what the global business unit makes is used in demanding, harsh or critical environments. Our Technical Ceramics business works in selected segments of the electronics, energy, healthcare, industrial, petrochemicals, security and transport markets, typically in close collaborative customer relationships.

Group Key Figures: Revenue £950m (2021), ~7,500 employees, manufacturing in 30+ countries, and customers in 100+ countries. A UK PLC with head office located in Windsor, Berkshire UK.  Listed on London Stock Exchange; Member of the FTSE 250 Index.

Responsibilities

The Role

As a Process Engineer, you'll be responsible for developing, improving, and supporting manufacturing processes used to produce advanced ceramic components. You'll work closely with engineering, quality, operations, and supply chain teams to improve efficiency, reduce variation, solve technical challenges, and support new product introductions.

This is a hands-on engineering role requiring strong analytical and statistical problem-solving skills. You'll spend time on the production floor using data and structured problem-solving methodologies to identify opportunities, determine root causes, implement corrective actions, and verify that improvements are effective.

What You'll Do

• Develop, implement, and continuously improve safe, efficient, capable, and cost-effective manufacturing processes and equipment.
• Support ceramic manufacturing operations, including raw material handling, mixing, molding, pressing, and high-temperature firing processes.
• Analyze manufacturing and quality data to identify trends, sources of variation, scrap drivers, yield losses, and opportunities for process improvement.
• Lead or support structured root cause investigations using data-driven problem-solving methodologies.
• Develop and implement corrective and preventive actions and verify their effectiveness.
• Conduct and interpret process capability studies, statistical analysis, and process performance evaluations.
• Use statistical tools and software, including Minitab, to analyze process data and support engineering decisions.
• Develop and maintain PFMEAs, control plans, process documentation, work instructions, routers, bills of materials, and other manufacturing documentation.
• Support new product introduction activities, including process development, process validation, APQP, PPAP, and manufacturing launches.
• Develop and execute process validation activities, including appropriate IQ, OQ, and PQ protocols and documentation.
• Troubleshoot manufacturing and quality issues using structured problem-solving methods such as DMAIC, 8D, 5-Why, Fishbone, and other appropriate methodologies.
• Participate in engineering design reviews and cross-functional project teams.
• Identify and lead continuous improvement projects based on measurable business or manufacturing opportunities.
• Establish project objectives, analyze baseline data, implement improvements, and measure results to demonstrate project effectiveness.
• Support quoting activities for labor, tooling, equipment, and manufacturing processes.
• Assist with capital equipment evaluations, equipment justification, and capital expenditure requests.
• Help train production teams on new processes, equipment, standard work, and process changes.
• Collaborate with Operations, Quality, Engineering, Supply Chain, and other functions to implement sustainable process improvements.

Qualifications

What You'll Bring

• Bachelor's degree in Materials Science, Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, or a related discipline.
• Experience in a manufacturing engineering or process engineering environment, preferably with hands-on process improvement responsibilities.
• Demonstrated experience using manufacturing and quality data to identify problems, determine root causes, and develop process improvements.
• Demonstrated experience conducting or supporting process capability studies and statistical analysis.
• Working knowledge of Minitab or a comparable statistical analysis tool, with practical experience using the software to analyze manufacturing/process data.
• Experience with process validation, including familiarity with IQ, OQ, and PQ.
• Experience with PFMEA, control plans, corrective action, and structured root cause analysis.
• Understanding of ISO 9001 and/or AS9100 quality management systems, with practical experience working within a quality management system preferred.
• Demonstrated knowledge of Lean Manufacturing, Kaizen, Six Sigma, DMAIC, or other continuous improvement methodologies.
• Experience leading or significantly contributing to continuous improvement projects with measurable results.
• Exposure to manufacturing processes involving mixing, molding, pressing, ovens, kilns, or other high-temperature processing equipment.
• Knowledge of ceramics, advanced materials, or similar manufacturing technologies preferred.
• Experience creating and maintaining manufacturing procedures and process documentation.
• Experience with capital equipment evaluation and/or capital expenditure projects preferred.
• Strong analytical, statistical, problem-solving, and troubleshooting skills.
• Ability to work effectively with Operations, Quality, Engineering, and Supply Chain teams.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.
• Comfortable balancing multiple priorities while maintaining attention to detail.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office applications.

Preferred Qualifications

• Six Sigma Green Belt or Black Belt certification with demonstrated application of the methodology in a manufacturing environment.
• Experience with Minitab statistical analysis, including capability analysis, hypothesis testing, control charts, regression, DOE, or other appropriate statistical techniques.
• Experience with IQ/OQ/PQ process validation.
• Experience working in AS9100, ISO 13485, or other regulated manufacturing environments.
• Experience supporting aerospace, medical device, ceramics, composites, or other highly regulated precision manufacturing.
• Experience leading cross-functional continuous improvement projects from problem identification through implementation and verification of results.

Important: This role involves working with controlled technical data, so you’ll need to meet U.S. ITAR requirements.

Individual must be a Citizen of the United States, or Permanent resident alien of the United States, or Protected individual as defined by 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3) as defined by 22CFR120.15

Compensation (Base Salary Range) $85,000-$102,000

Morgan Advanced Materials is an EEO/AA/M/W/D/V Employer.

Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform essential functions of this job. While performing the duties of this job, the employee is occasionally exposed to moving mechanical parts, fumes, or airborne particles, and toxic caustic chemicals.  The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate.

This job description does not state or imply that all duties to be performed are specifically identified above. Employees are required to follow any other job-related instructions and to perform any other job-related duties requested or instructed by an authorized person of the Company. This document does not create an employment contract, implied or otherwise, other than an “at-will” relationship. IND-1